The Lakers have 25 games left in this season before the playoffs. Which means L.A. has got to win as many games as they can to get into the 8th seed in the West for the playoffs. The key to tonight’s win is going to be how the Lakers maintain their recent good fortune, which has bred positive energy on the team. Playing off the momentum of the win against Dallas will be crucial to their second game on the road.
Kobe Bryant was named Player of the Week for the Western Conference (LeBron was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week) for the week of February 18th and ending February 24th. Bryant averaged 31.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 6 apg during those seven days. His two biggest games were in Portland and Dallas. He went for 40 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in Portland and 38 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists against Dallas. Kobe helped the Lakers go 3-0 last week.
The Lakers are #9 in the Power Rankings this week. Jerry Buss’s death absolutely motivated the team last week. We all saw Kobe Bryant on fire, but Dwight was also putting up impressive numbers. Currently in the top is the Miami Heat, followed by the Spurs and Thunder.
For more on the pregame report, click here.
Nuggets Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Andre Iguodala
SF: Danilo Gallinari
PF: Kenneth Faried
C: Kosta Koufos
Key Reserves: C JaVale McGee SG Wilson Chandler PG Andre Miller
Los Angeles Lakers (28-29) vs. Denver Nuggets (35-22)
6:oo PM PST, February 25, 2013
Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
TV: Time Warner Sports Network
Radio: 710 ESPN (English) / 1330 ESPN (Spanish)
Lakers Nation News
Lakers Rumors: Utah Keeping Raja Bell To Keep Away From Lakers?
NBA News: Former Lakers Guard Derek Fisher Returns to Thunder
Lakers News: Kobe Bryant Named Western Conference Player of the Week
NBA Power Rankings Week 18: Heat Surge To The Top, Lakers Climbing
Lakers Vs. Nuggets Pre-Game Report: LA Looks To Continue Success
Kobe Bryant Takes To Twitter With One More Response To Mark Cuban
Lakers News: Team Not Concerned With Kobe Bryant’s Technicals
Lakers News: Bryant Discusses How Lakers “Take Care of Their Own”
Lakers News: Dirk Nowitzki Praises Kobe Following Sunday Matchup
Video: Robert Sacre Loves Kobe Bryant Baskets In the 4th
Lakers vs. Mavericks NBA Highlights: February 24th, 2012
Lakers News
Backstage With the Lakers in Dallas [Silver Screen and Roll]
Playoffs? Lakers Face Long Odds [Silver Screen and Roll]
Lakers Outlast Mavs 103-99 [Silver Screen and Roll]
Pau’s Impact Will Be In the Playoffs By the Time He Returns [Silver Screen and Roll]
Utah Doesn’t Want Bell to Sign with L.A. [Silver Screen and Roll]
D’Antoni Discounts Gasol’s Pre-Playoff Impact [Lakers Blog]
NBA Debating Whether to Fine Mavericks’ Mark Cuban for Comment on Kobe Bryant – [LA Times]
Preview and Chat: The Denver Nuggets [Forum Blue and Gold]
Kobe Bryant Ensuring Lakers Will Make Good on Guarantee [USA Today]
Bryant Gets the Last Word on Cuban’s Suggestion [OC Register]
Bryant Outscores Nowitzki as Lakers Top Mavs [Yahoo! Sports]
Lakers Finish Strong in 103-99 Victory Over Mavericks [LA Times]
Has Kobe Ever Been Better Than Right Now? [TrueHoop Blog]
Kobe 3 Technicals Away from NBA Suspension [Lakers Blog]
Lakers vs. Mavericks: Kobe Closes the Door on Dallas [Forum Blue and Gold]
Kobe Bryant leading the league with 12 technical fouls [LA Times]
Lakers’ Kobe Bryant Zings Mavericks’ Mark Cuban for Amnesty Talk [The Point Forward]
Bryant Becomes Youngest to 31,000 Points in Win [NBA]
Kobe, LeBron Named NBA Players of the Week [USA Today]
Los Angeles Lakers’ Center Dwight Howard Has Reached a Good Place [ESPN LA]
Bryant, Nash Carry Lakers to Victory in Dallas [OC Register]
Kobe Bryant Ensuring Lakers will Make Good on Guarantee [USA Today]
The Lakers Take Down the Dallas [LA Times]
The Lakers are Finally Winning, and They Still Aren’t That Great [SB Nation]
Dwight Wants to Shape the World a la Buss [OC Register]
MBA News
The Two Teams That Pose Biggest Threat to Miami Heat [USA Today]
Wizards vs. Raptors Preview: Ignore the Win-Loss Records, Watch This gGame [SB Nation]
Jack Rallies Warriors to 100-99 Win Over Wolves [Yahoo! Sports]
LeBron Says He Was Going to Play Until He Got the Last Rebound Needed for His Triple-Double Against Sixers [PBT]
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat – Recap [ESPN]
Spurs Bond Over Burgers They Don’t Like or Want [SB Nation]
Kevin Love Hopes to Play 15-20 Games this Year [Yahoo! Sports]
Derrick Rose Distances Himself from Brother’s Criticism of the Bulls [SLAM ONLINE]
Nicknames for Dwyane Wade That Could Possibly Be Worse Than ‘Way of Wade’ [SB Nation]
Dirk Nowitzki Expects to Play with Dallas Mavericks Through 2015-16 Season [ESPN Dallas]
Kobe’s Crossover Puts O.J. Mayo on Skates (VIDEO) [PBT]
Is Lamar Odom Rediscovering His Game? [Clips Nation]
LeBron James Gets Swatted, Tossed out of Bounds by … Spencer Hawes? [Dime Magazine]
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks – Recap [ESPN]
LeBron James Stages His Own Dunk Contest in Heat Warmups [SB Nation]
Derrick Rose Dunks in Bulls’ Pregame Session (VIDEO) [USA Today]
Will Bynum Ejected After Punching Tyler Hansbrough in the Midsection (VIDEO) [PBT]
